Process of refrigeration.



W. W. SEAY. PROCESS 0F RBFRIGERATION. APPLICATION FILED APLzz, 1909. RENBWED H1B. ze, 1912.

1,042,041 Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

Witness? i! I UNITED STATES WILLIAM W. SEAY, OE CINCINNATI, OHIO.

PROCESS OFREFRIGERATION. e

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten oet. 2e, rara.

Application led April 22, 1909, Serial No. 491,450. Renewed February 26, 1912. Serial No. 689,111.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. SEAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Refrigeration, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process in the art of refrigeration, to a modification of the process described and claimed in my former application for a patent originally filed March 28, 1905, Serial No. 252,571, and renewed November 13, 1907, Serial No. 401,987.

The process herein described involves the basic principles of the original application and hinges upon the same discovery, but is directed to a different commercial method of utilizing the invention.

Briefly speaking, in my original application I disclosed `the process in which a solid absorbent salt is used, such as the nitrate of ammonium, or, the thiocyanate of ammonium, there being several other equivalent salts which I need not name. These salts have the property of going from `a solid state into a liquid solution with a refrigerant gas, such as ammonia gas.

In the original application, l preferably absorb the expanded gas into a solid absorbent and then apply heat, volatilize oif the refrigerant gas and reconvert the salt into a solid state. This process utilizes' the full thermal eficiency and is the preferable process where this element is the controlling factor.

In this modified process, I do not entirely eliminate the ammonia from the absorbing solution during the generating step so as to technically resolidify the original salt but stop short of this point While the salt and the residue of the ammonia s'till exist as a liquid solution.` f

I have discovered that after the nitrate of ammonium, say, has had added to it just suiiicient ammonia gas to form a liquid solution, the solution itself shows a marked absorbing affinity for ammonia gas. Therefore, `this modified process lends itself to any commercial conditions in which it may be desirable to manipulate the absorbent in a liquid condition somewhat analogous to the ordinary absorption process. However, un-

- like the ordinary absorption process, the application of heat to the absorbent solution in and more particularly my process volatilizes off the ammonia and resolidifies the salt if carried far enough, so that the process is in the direction of vaporizing the ammonia and solidifying the nonvolatile absorbent, thus insuring the separation of the ammonia as an anhydrous vapor. The salt being anhydrous the ammonia Will be anhydrous.

- I have shown in the drawing, a diagrammatic form of apparatus, illustrating this modified process.

1 is the reservoir for the liquid ammonia. Tt passes through pipe 2 into the expanding coil 3 in the refrigerator 4, performing the ordinary refrigerating act. When expanded it passes through pipe 5, into the absorber tank 6, in which the absorbent salt, preferably nitrate of ammonia, is placed, either in a solid state or in the form of a liquid solution, having the property of absorbing ammonia gas. In tank 6 is the coil to carry off heat of liquefaction. The ammonia gas is absorbed into this solution of nitrate of ammonia and is pumped out through pipe 8, by pump 9, into the generating or vaporizing tank 10. l

11 is a coil in this tank 10 for circulating hot Water or steam and vaporizing the refrigerant from the solution of the salt. As the gas passes out of the solution the liquid is reduced in volume and is increased in density, gradually assuming a pasty consistency, although still having sufficient mobility to manipulate as a uid. This weakened solution passes out of the tank 10, into the pipe 12, back into the tank G for the reabsorption, by reason of the higher pressure maintained in tank 10 over that in tank 6, the refrigerant gas volatiliz-ed in tank 10 is separated by flowing out through pipe 14, into the condensing coil l5, Within \the condenser 1G, returning in a liquid state into the reservoir 1. Cold water is circulated in the usual way through tank. 16, by inlet and exit pipes 17, 18. This flow from tank 10 is controlled by an adjusting cock 13. Tank 10 being constantly generating or volatilizing, is undera high condensing pressure, whereas the absorption is done ata lower pressure, (to-wit, that of the eXpansion coil) rarely exceeding forty-four lpounds absolutepressure per square inch, hence you have only to open cock 13 and the solution will flow into tank 10.

This describes a completecycle of opera- 7, through which cooling water is circulated mail tion in a continuous process. lt is quite eyident that this process might be inter1nittently carried on anda single tank used alternately as a generator and an absorber.

lllhen the absorbent salt has been con- Ver-ted :troni a solid state to a liquid solution with the refrigerant gas, upon the applict-- lion or heat to the absorbent solution, a portion of the. uuunonia gas will be rapidly volutilized oil and the remainder less easily. 'this bein` particularly true iie the solution lornied by 'the solid salt and annnonia gas is further utilised to absorb an additional volunlc ot' refrigerant gus. lt is therefore evident that this process is iu some respects more expeditious than the process described in niy prior application, in that the extra time required to completely resolidify the absorbent salt l'roni its solution need not be consumed, but just sullicien't an'nnonia volatilizcd '.troin the solution to constitute an etlicient working volume oft the refrigerant, and the weakened but not entirely exhausted liquid nu then be in'unediately reinployed in :l succeeding' absorbing step.

llaving described iny invention, li clannz" l. ln the art ot refriceration the nrocess or absorbing expanded refrigerant gas into a liquid formed from a salt having the property of going from a solid state into liquid solution with said gas, subjecting the solution to theinluence of a coolinginedium during the absorption period, heatingn the solution and Volatilizing refrigerant gas there troni, condensing the separated refrigerant gas, expanding' the condensed refrigerant in the zone ot the article to be cooled and reabsorbing the expanded refrigerant gas into said liquid solution of the absorbent salt, substantially as described.

2. ln the art of refrigeration, the process ot' absorbingl expanded refrigerant gas into a liquid formed from a salt having the property of going from a solid state into liquid solution with said gas, subjecting the solution to the influence of a cooling medium during the absorbing period in one tank, removing,r the absmfbing solution into another tank and heating the solution therein, volatilizinga off refrigerant gas from said solution, condensing the separated refrigerant gas in another compartment, expanding the condensed refrigerant in the zone ol? the ar- Loenen tially as described.

iin the art or refrigeration, the process of absorbing" the refrigerant gas into a salt haring the property or going troni a solid stat-e into a liquid solution with said gas, reducing the temperature during' the absorbing period, raisingthe temperature and vaporiziagrefrigerant gas :trein said liquid solution and absorbing another charge of refrigerant into a solution formed by said salt and gas, substantially as described.

4l. lin the art of rei'rigeration, the process of absorbing in one tank refrigerant gas into a solution formed by said gas and a salt havingl the property oft going' from a solid into a liquid state with said gas, and Vola: tiliaing refrigerant gas trein its absorbent solution in another tanlr, substantially as described.

5. The herein described process of retrigeration which consists in applying heat to a dilute liquid solution oft anhydrous arn1nonia and a, salt whereby to separate and drive oil a part or the ammonia. While maintain ing the salt in solution, condensing; the gas to produce liquid anhydrous ammonia, then expanding said gas to produce cold, then absorbing said gas in a portieri of the original liquid whereby it is enriched, and repeating the process, substantially as described.

6. The herein described process of refrigeration Which consists in applying heat to a dilute liquid solution of anhydrous aminou nia and a salt in a container, whereby to drive ol'l? a portion ot the ammonia, condensing the ammonia gas to form liquid anhy drous ammonia, expanding the gas to produce cold and then re-absorbing said gas in a portion of the residual liquor in a separate vessel and at a lower pressure and temperature, and returning the enriched liquor to the original container or generator, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereuno set my hand.

Wllllililld W. SEA Y.

lll/'itnesses:

@LIVER B. KAISER, EMMA Srnnnu. 

